Hanyo tte Nani?
by Rainfelt aka Phoe-chan
Summary: We all know InuYasha doesn't really like humans. Can we take a guess as to why? This is a oneshot based on what a day of InuYasha's childhood was like. Mild child angst and some fluff at the end.


A/N: This is a response to a fiction challenge in my Live Journal community, and also this is my first time writing an InuYasha fanfiction. *hugs series* I love InuYasha, and am just now becoming a big fan. I usually write humour and my fics are usually Rurouni Kenshin based but I want to see if I can pull this off. I hope to write more InuYasha fics. Feedback is appreciated.  
  
Challenge #1, Option B: Write a one-shot detailing a day in the life of your favorite character when he/she was between the ages of five and ten years old.   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, if I did...*Grins widely* *cough* yeah...I also don't own Fiction Writers Anonymous, which is the community I am a part of. I DO own Mr. Cactus and his friends, who are my inspiring plants. However, being that Mr. Cactus recently passed away, I am lacking my normal inspiration. Today, Mr. Cactus has been replaced with a new Inspiring Plant, Mr. Pokey Cactus. Welcome to my room, Mr. Pokey!!   
  
...Don't worry. It's just a phase. It'll pass. ¬.¬  
  
----------  
  
Hanyo tte Nani?   
  
----------  
  
Bounce. Bounce bounce. The small child's toy rolled down the hill; ignoring the farmers and peasants it passed by, determined to continue on until it could move no more. A flash of red and white followed, wanting to retrieve the ball as quickly as possible.   
  
The ball, realizing there was no escape, casually bounced into the wall of a hut, ricocheting back and rolling a few feet before settling in the soft patches of grass.  
  
The red and white being came to a halt, stumbling for balance among the loose rocks surrounding the village. Small clawed hands reached out to grab the ball, careful not to damage the treasured sphere. Locks of wild, ivory hair tumbled over the shoulders of the half-breed child. Wide golden eyes glanced about, curiously seeking out a playmate or someone to be around.  
  
Little InuYasha was lonely.  
  
Most people shied away from the demi-demon child, refusing to associate with him. He didn't understand why, but being part demon, he was a persistent little child.   
  
Eyes darting around once more, InuYasha sighed dejectedly as no one was around for him to play with. He tossed his ball in the air and ran after it, wandering deeper into the heart of the village.  
  
He watched as his ball rolled towards some townsmen and his spirits perked up. Perhaps someone wanted to play! He ran after his ball and barely missed the foot that lashed out, knocking his ball across the dirt path. The confused boy watched the men tauntingly kick his beloved ball around, before knocking it back out of the village, their cold stares making the child cower. Why were they being so mean?  
  
Sniffing slightly, InuYasha retrieved his ball and turned to see the men walk off, while the mothers held their children at bay, shooting disgusted glares at the misfit child.  
  
InuYasha sighed and walked on, still not understanding what was going on. It was rare he wandered into the village, but normally people weren't this mean, were they?  
  
As InuYasha came up on the stream that flowed behind the village, he saw a small group of children his age playing with each other. His dog-like ears perked up as he sauntered up to them. "Can I play?"  
  
All the children stopped and turned around to the voice questioning. Their curious looks turned to child-like glares. "No!"  
  
InuYasha's bottom lip protruded slightly. "Why not?"  
  
"You're a hanyo. Okaasan says you're a mistake! You shouldn't be around here! Go away!"  
  
InuYasha felt tears swell up in his eyes. "I...I'm not a mistake.."  
  
One child giggled. "Yeah, right. Why are your ears on top of your head? And you got claws. No normal person has those!"  
  
The others chimmed in. "Hanyo! Hanyo!" The little white-haired boy felt his spirit break as the others taunted him before retreating.  
  
As the children ran back into the depths of their village, InuYasha sank to the ground, clutching his ball tightly as the sting of tears made him close his eyes. "I'm not a mistake...I'm just different."  
  
He didn't know how long he sat there cradling his only toy, but soon his nose twitched as he perked up. 'Mama...!'  
  
Scrambling to his feet, the dog-eared child dashed around the outskirts of the village, bounding around the farmers and passerbys, ignoring the comments of "There goes that demon child..." and "What a disgrace that woman has brought to our village." Or even, "How could she love a creature like that?"  
  
All the tears InuYasha had been holding back broke loose as he dropped his ball and ran into his mother's awaiting arms. The ball bounced back and stopped near the bridge a short distance away. "Haha! No one likes me! They say I'm a mistake! Why am I different?! I just want friends!"  
  
InuYasha's mother instinctively pulled her baby into her arms, crushing him to her. "Shhh, shh. You are not a mistake. You're a blessing, my beautiful InuYasha... You're different because you are special... And one day, you will find wonderful friends."  
  
"But..I want them now..."   
  
His mother wished she could heal the ache in his small heart as well as promise him acceptance in the world, but she knew she couldn't control those kinds of things. It was all she could do to keep from crying.   
  
And cry she did once she heard her precious child's muffled question, accompanied by a sniffle.  
  
"Ha..Hanyo tte nani?"  
  
----------  
  
InuYasha looked up as he broke from his thoughts. His mother didn't have the heart to tell him what a Hanyo was. He learned shortly after from a youkai not much older than him, proving he would not be accepted in neither the human nor demon societies.  
  
He hated humans for they shunned him and his mother and he hated demons for they wouldn't give him a second glance. He was just as strong, if not stronger.  
  
The heir to the great Dog Demon Lord, InuTaisho.  
  
Slowly, InuYasha's demon reasoning was muffled out by his more sensitive and human-like side as a familiar scent reached his nostrils. Kagome was coming back through the well.  
  
He dashed towards the old well, skillfully maneuvering through trees and brush, skidding to a halt at the base of the hole, as Kagome hefted her backpack over it with a grunt. She followed through, giving a sigh upon climbing over. She looked over to the hanyo and smiled. "Tadaima!"  
  
That smile melted all of InuYasha's demon reasoning away. And that's probably why he could do what he did next without his pride overwhelming him.  
  
Kagome's eyes widened a bit as she was pulled into a warm embrace. InuYasha inhaled her scent and smiled as an image of his mother flashed in his mind. 'And one day, you will find wonderful friends.'  
  
'You were right, Mama.'  
  
"Okaeri, Kagome."  
  
-Owari-   
  
----------  
  
A/N: Well for my first IY fic, what do you think? Was it good? Bad? Too sad? Too sappy? I know it's a bit short but I have a headache and well, elaborating isn't a priority at the moment. ^^;  
  
A few translations for those not too fluent in Japanese. (not that I'm saying I'm fluent. My abilites don't go much beyond "Atashi wa Phoe-chan."  
  
Okaasan: Mother  
  
Hanyo: Half Demon; if I'm not mistaken, it can be taken as an insult.  
  
Haha: Mama, Ma.  
  
Tadaima: I'm home; I'm back.  
  
Okaeri: Welcome Back.  
  
Hanyo tte nani?: What's a hanyo?  
  
Youkai: Demon  
  
-----  
  
I hope nothing I wrote was really OOC, since I'm going by memory and what I know of Inu's past. Many thanks to those who helped me out, especially the ones on the message board of the InuYasha Guild on Neopets. ^_^;  
  
Wow, I got this done a day before the deadline. W00t!  
  
Now, if you don't mind, please leave me a review. Domo in advance!  
  
**Ignore the grammar, I do**  
  
Phoe-chan 


End file.
